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1997–98 FA Cup


FieldValue
titleFA Cup
year1997–98
countryEngland
Wales
defending_championsChelsea
winnersArsenal
count7
secondNewcastle United
scoring_leaderAndy Cole
Alan Shearer
Gareth Dodds
(5 goals)
prev_season[1996–97](1996-97-fa-cup)
next_season[1998–99](1998-99-fa-cup)

Wales Alan Shearer Gareth Dodds (5 goals)

The 1997–98 FA Cup (known as The FA Cup sponsored by Littlewoods for sponsorship reasons) was the 117th staging of the FA Cup. The competition was won by Arsenal with a 2–0 victory against Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium.

Calendar

RoundInitial MatchesNew EntriesClubs
Preliminary roundSaturday 30 August 1997318563 → 404
First round qualifyingSaturday 13 September 1997129404 → 260
Second round qualifyingSaturday 27 September 1997none260 → 188
Third round qualifyingSaturday 11 October 1997none188 → 152
Fourth round qualifyingSaturday 25 October 199720152 → 124
First round properSaturday 15 November 199752124 → 84
Second round properSaturday 6 December 1997none84 → 64
Third round properSaturday 3 January 19984464 → 32
Fourth round properSaturday 24 January 1998none32 → 16
Fifth round properSaturday 14 February 1998none16 → 8
Sixth round properSaturday 7 March 1998none8 → 4
Semi-finalsSunday 5 April 1998none4 → 2
FinalSaturday 16 May 1998none2 → 1

Qualifying rounds

Most participating clubs that were not members of the Premier League or Football League competed in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 28 places available in the first round.

The winners from the fourth qualifying round were Gainsborough Trinity, Lincoln United, Colwyn Bay, Blyth Spartans, Northwich Victoria, Winsford United, Ilkeston Town, Emley, Solihull Borough, Morecambe, Southport, Boston United, Hereford United, Wisbech Town, Billericay Town, Tiverton Town, Boreham Wood, Margate, Basingstoke Town, Hendon, Farnborough Town, King's Lynn, Heybridge Swifts, Bromsgrove Rovers, Cheltenham Town, Hayes, Carshalton Athletic and Slough Town.

Billericay Town was appearing in the competition proper for the first time. Of the others, Basingstoke Town had last featured at this stage in 1989–90, King's Lynn had last done so in 1984-85, Gainsborough Trinity had last done so in 1983-84, Margate had last done so in 1972-73 and Ilkeston Town had last done so in 1956-57.

Northern Premier League side Emley made national headlines when, after defeating Workington, Durham City, Belper Town and Nuneaton Borough in the qualifying rounds and then seeing off Morecambe and Lincoln City in the first two rounds of the competition proper, they only lost narrowly to a West Ham United team containing the likes of Rio Ferdinand, David Unsworth, Eyal Berkovic, John Hartson and Frank Lampard in the third round.

First round proper

The 48 teams from the Football League Second and Third Divisions entered in this round along with the 28 non-league qualifiers and Woking, Dagenham & Redbridge, Stevenage Borough and Hednesford Town who were given byes. Tiverton Town, from the Western League Premier Division at Step 8 of the football pyramid, was the lowest-ranked team in the draw - with the club going on to win this year's FA Vase and be crowned undefeated champions of their league, their first-round Cup tie against Football Conference (Step 5) outfit Cheltenham Town represented their only senior-level competitive loss of the season.

The matches were played on 14 November 1997. There were fourteen replays, with four ties requiring a penalty shootout to settle the results.

Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDateDarlington won 4–2 on penaltiesBasingstoke Town won 5–4 on penaltiesColchester United won 4–2 on penaltiesEmley won 3–1 on penalties
1**Blackpool**4–3Blyth Spartans (6)15 November 1997
2**Chester City**2–1Winsford United (6)15 November 1997
3**Chesterfield**1–0Northwich Victoria (5)15 November 1997
4Darlington1–1Solihull Borough (7)15 November 1997
*Replay**Solihull Borough**3–3**Darlington*26 November 1997
5**AFC Bournemouth**3–0Heybridge Swifts (6)15 November 1997
6Barnet1–2**Watford**15 November 1997
7**Bristol City**1–0Millwall15 November 1997
8**Preston North End**3–2Doncaster Rovers15 November 1997
9Rochdale0–2**Wrexham**15 November 1997
10**Walsall**2–0Lincoln United (7)15 November 1997
11Woking (5)0–2**Southend United**15 November 1997
12**Notts County**2–0Colwyn Bay (6)16 November 1997
13Lincoln City1–1Gainsborough Trinity (6)15 November 1997
*Replay****Lincoln City****3–2**Gainsborough Trinity*25 November 1997
14Luton Town0–1**Torquay United**15 November 1997
15Shrewsbury Town1–1Grimsby Town15 November 1997
*Replay****Grimsby Town****4–0**Shrewsbury Town*25 November 1997
16Wycombe Wanderers2–2Basingstoke Town (6)15 November 1997
*Replay**Basingstoke Town**2–2**Wycombe Wanderers*25 November 1997
17Brentford2–2Colchester United15 November 1997
*Replay**Colchester United**0–0**Brentford*25 November 1997
18Bristol Rovers2–2Gillingham14 November 1997
*Replay**Gillingham**0–2****Bristol Rovers***25 November 1997
19**King's Lynn** (6)1–0Bromsgrove Rovers (6)15 November 1997
20Plymouth Argyle0–0Cambridge United15 November 1997
*Replay****Cambridge United****3–2**Plymouth Argyle*25 November 1997
21Hull City0–2**Hednesford Town** (5)15 November 1997
22Carlisle United0–1**Wigan Athletic**15 November 1997
23Oldham Athletic1–1Mansfield Town15 November 1997
*Replay**Mansfield Town**0–1****Oldham Athletic***25 November 1997
24Exeter City1–1Northampton Town15 November 1997
*Replay****Northampton Town****2–1**Exeter City*25 November 1997
25**Scunthorpe United**2–1Scarborough15 November 1997
26Margate (7)1–2**Fulham**16 November 1997
27**Cheltenham Town** (5)2–1Tiverton Town (8)15 November 1997
28Southport (5)0–4**York City**15 November 1997
29Morecambe (5)1–1Emley (6)15 November 1997
*Replay**Emley**3–3**Morecambe*25 November 1997
30Carshalton Athletic (6)0–0Stevenage Borough (5)15 November 1997
*Replay****Stevenage Borough****5–0**Carshalton Athletic*24 November 1997
31**Hereford United** (5)2–1Brighton & Hove Albion15 November 1997
32Rotherham United3–3Burnley15 November 1997
*Replay**Burnley**0–3****Rotherham United***25 November 1997
33Hayes (5)0–1**Boreham Wood** (6)15 November 1997
34Hendon (6)2–2Leyton Orient15 November 1997
*Replay**Leyton Orient**0–1****Hendon***25 November 1997
35**Ilkeston Town** (7)2–1Boston United (6)15 November 1997
36Slough Town (5)1–1Cardiff City15 November 1997
*Replay****Cardiff City****3–2**Slough Town*25 November 1997
37Swansea City1–4**Peterborough United**14 November 1997
38Farnborough Town (5)0–1**Dagenham & Redbridge** (6)15 November 1997
39Hartlepool United2–4**Macclesfield Town**15 November 1997
40Billericay Town (7)2–3**Wisbech Town** (7)15 November 1997

Second round proper

The second round of the competition featured the winners of the first round ties. The matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday 6 December 1997, with nine replays and three penalty shootouts required, each of which featured a team who won on penalties in the previous round. Wisbech Town and Ilkeston Town, from the Southern League Midland Division at Step 7 of English football, were the lowest-ranked teams in the draw.

Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDateEmley won 4–3 on penaltiesNorthampton Town won 4–3 on penaltiesHereford United won 5–4 on penalties
1Chester City0–2**Wrexham**5 December 1997
2**AFC Bournemouth**3–1Bristol City7 December 1997
3Preston North End2–2Notts County6 December 1997
*Replay**Notts County**1–2****Preston North End***16 December 1997
4Wisbech Town (7)0–2**Bristol Rovers**6 December 1997
5Grimsby Town2–2Chesterfield6 December 1997
*Replay**Chesterfield**0–2****Grimsby Town***16 December 1997
6Macclesfield Town0–7**Walsall**6 December 1997
7Lincoln City2–2Emley (6)6 December 1997
*Replay**Emley**3–3**Lincoln City*17 December 1997
8Hednesford Town (5)0–1**Darlington**6 December 1997
9**Fulham**1–0Southend United6 December 1997
10Northampton Town1–1Basingstoke Town (6)6 December 1997
*Replay**Basingstoke Town**0–0**Northampton Town*16 December 1997
11**Oldham Athletic**2–1Blackpool6 December 1997
12Scunthorpe United1–1Ilkeston Town (7)6 December 1997
*Replay**Ilkeston Town**1–2****Scunthorpe United***17 December 1997
13**Cardiff City**3–1Hendon (6)6 December 1997
14Cheltenham Town (5)1–1Boreham Wood (6)6 December 1997
*Replay**Boreham Wood**0–2****Cheltenham Town***16 December 1997
15Torquay United1–1Watford6 December 1997
*Replay****Watford****2–1**Torquay United*16 December 1997
16**Rotherham United**6–0King's Lynn (6)6 December 1997
17**Wigan Athletic**2–1York City6 December 1997
18**Peterborough United**3–2Dagenham & Redbridge (6)6 December 1997
19Colchester United1–1Hereford United (5)6 December 1997
*Replay**Hereford United**1–1**Colchester United*16 December 1997
20Cambridge United1–1Stevenage Borough (5)6 December 1997
*Replay****Stevenage Borough****2–1**Cambridge United*15 December 1997

Third round proper

The third round was scheduled for Saturday 3 January 1998, although six matches were postponed until later dates. This round marked the point at which the teams in the two highest divisions in the English league system, the Premiership and the Football League First Division, entered the competition. There were eight replays, with two of those games requiring a penalty shootout to settle the results. Emley, from Step 6, was the lowest-ranked team in the draw.

Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDateSheffield Wednesday won 5–3 on penaltiesArsenal won 4–3 on penalties
1Darlington (4)0–4**Wolverhampton Wanderers** (2)14 January 1998
2AFC Bournemouth (3)0–1**Huddersfield Town** (2)13 January 1998
3Liverpool (1)1–3**Coventry City** (1)3 January 1998
4Preston North End (3)1–2**Stockport County** (2)3 January 1998
5Watford (3)1–1Sheffield Wednesday (1)3 January 1998
*Replay**Sheffield Wednesday**0–0**Watford*14 January 1998
6**Leicester City** (1)4–0Northampton Town (3)3 January 1998
7**Blackburn Rovers** (1)4–2Wigan Athletic (3)3 January 1998
8**Grimsby Town** (3)3–0Norwich City (2)3 January 1998
9Crewe Alexandra (2)1–2**Birmingham City** (2)3 January 1998
10**West Bromwich Albion** (2)3–1Stoke City (2)13 January 1998
11**Derby County** (1)2–0Southampton (1)3 January 1998
12Everton (1)0–1**Newcastle United** (1)4 January 1998
13Swindon Town (2)1–2**Stevenage Borough** (5)3 January 1998
14Sheffield United (2)1–1Bury (2)3 January 1998
*Replay**Bury**1–2****Sheffield United***13 January 1998
15**Tottenham Hotspur** (1)3–1Fulham (3)5 January 1998
16**Manchester City** (2)2–0Bradford City (2)3 January 1998
17Queens Park Rangers (2)2–2Middlesbrough (2)3 January 1998
*Replay****Middlesbrough****2–0**Queens Park Rangers*13 January 1998
18**Barnsley** (1)1–0Bolton Wanderers (1)3 January 1998
19Bristol Rovers (3)1–1Ipswich Town (2)3 January 1998
*Replay****Ipswich Town****1–0**Bristol Rovers*13 January 1998
20Portsmouth (2)2–2Aston Villa (1)3 January 1998
*Replay****Aston Villa****1–0**Portsmouth*14 January 1998
21**West Ham United** (1)2–1Emley (6)3 January 1998
22**Crystal Palace** (1)2–0Scunthorpe United (4)3 January 1998
23Chelsea (1)3–5**Manchester United** (1)4 January 1998
24Wimbledon (1)0–0Wrexham (3)4 January 1998
*Replay**Wrexham**2–3****Wimbledon***13 January 1998
25**Cardiff City** (4)1–0Oldham Athletic (3)3 January 1998
26**Charlton Athletic** (2)4–1Nottingham Forest (2)3 January 1998
27Arsenal (1)0–0Port Vale (2)3 January 1998
*Replay**Port Vale**1–1**Arsenal*14 January 1998
28Cheltenham Town (5)1–1Reading (2)13 January 1998
*Replay****Reading****2–1**Cheltenham Town*20 January 1998
29**Leeds United** (1)4–0Oxford United (2)3 January 1998
30Hereford United (5)0–3**Tranmere Rovers** (2)13 January 1998
31Rotherham United (4)1–5**Sunderland** (2)3 January 1998
32Peterborough United (4)0–2**Walsall** (3)13 January 1998

Fourth round proper

The fourth round ties were played with the 32 winners of the previous round. The matches were originally scheduled for Saturday 24 January 1998. There were five replays, with one penalty shootout. Stevenage Borough, from the Football Conference at Step 5, was the lowest-ranked team in the draw and the last non-league club left in the competition.

Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDateReading won 4–3 on penalties
1**Aston Villa**4–0West Bromwich Albion24 January 1998
2Sheffield Wednesday0–3**Blackburn Rovers**26 January 1998
3Middlesbrough1–2**Arsenal**24 January 1998
4Ipswich Town1–1Sheffield United24 January 1998
*Replay****Sheffield United****1–0**Ipswich Town*3 February 1998
5**Tranmere Rovers**1–0Sunderland24 January 1998
6Tottenham Hotspur1–1Barnsley24 January 1998
*Replay****Barnsley****3–1**Tottenham Hotspur*4 February 1998
7Manchester City1–2**West Ham United**25 January 1998
8**Coventry City**2–0Derby County24 January 1998
9**Manchester United**5–1Walsall24 January 1998
10**Crystal Palace**3–0Leicester City24 January 1998
11Huddersfield Town0–1**Wimbledon**24 January 1998
12Cardiff City1–1Reading24 January 1998
*Replay**Reading**1–1**Cardiff City*3 February 1998
13Charlton Athletic1–1Wolverhampton Wanderers24 January 1998
*Replay****Wolverhampton Wanderers****3–0**Charlton Athletic*3 February 1998
14**Leeds United**2–0Grimsby Town24 January 1998
15**Birmingham City**2–1Stockport County24 January 1998
16Stevenage Borough (5)1–1Newcastle United25 January 1998
*Replay****Newcastle United****2–1**Stevenage Borough*4 February 1998

Fifth round proper

The fifth-round matches were scheduled for Saturday 14 February 1998. There were four replays, with one penalty shootout.

The biggest surprise of the round was arguably Barnsley's 3–2 win (in the replay that followed a 1–1 draw) over Manchester United. Barnsley were in their first season as a top division side (and ended it with relegation), while United were defending league champions and were also in contention for the league title and the European Cup at this time, although they ended the season trophyless.

Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDateWest Ham United won 5–4 on penalties
1Aston Villa0–1**Coventry City**14 February 1998
2**Sheffield United**1–0Reading13 February 1998
3**Newcastle United**1–0Tranmere Rovers14 February 1998
4West Ham United2–2Blackburn Rovers14 February 1998
*Replay**Blackburn Rovers**1–1**West Ham United*25 February 1998
5Manchester United1–1Barnsley15 February 1998
*Replay****Barnsley****3–2**Manchester United*25 February 1998
6Wimbledon1–1Wolverhampton Wanderers14 February 1998
*Replay****Wolverhampton Wanderers****2–1**Wimbledon*25 February 1998
7Arsenal0–0Crystal Palace15 February 1998
*Replay**Crystal Palace**1–2****Arsenal***25 February 1998
8**Leeds United**3–2Birmingham City14 February 1998

Sixth round proper

The sixth round ties were scheduled for the weekend of 7 and 8 March 1998. Two replays were played on the 17th, both of which went to penalties.

Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield United, Division One sides, both progressed to the semi-finals at the expense of Premier League sides. Wolverhampton Wanderers were particularly impressive in doing this, as the side they eliminated from the cup (Leeds United) went on to finish fifth in the Premier League.

Speed Batty

Replays

Sheffield United won 3–1 on penalties.

Bergkamp

Arsenal won 4–3 on penalties.

Semi-finals

The two semi-final matches were played on Sunday 5 April 1998. Both ties were played at neutral venues and resulted in victories for Arsenal and Newcastle United, who went on to meet in the final at Wembley. The losing sides were both Division One teams, who endured further disappointment over the next few weeks by being pipped to promotion.

Final

Main article: 1998 FA Cup final

The 1998 FA Cup Final was contested by Arsenal and Newcastle United at Wembley on 16 May 1998. Arsenal won 2–0, with goals by Marc Overmars and Nicolas Anelka to complete their second league title/FA Cup double. They joined Manchester United as only the second English team to achieve this, although Arsenal did so with an entirely different set of players (their first double was in 1971, whereas United's doubles were in 1994 and 1996).

Anelka

{{Football kitpattern_la = _arsenal9698hpattern_b = _arsenal9698hpattern_ra = _arsenal9698hpattern_so = _long_arsenal9699hleftarm = FFFFFFbody = AA0000rightarm = FFFFFFshorts = FFFFFFsocks = FFFFFFtitle = Arsenal{{Football kitpattern_la = _nufc9799hpattern_b = _nufc9799hpattern_ra = _nufc9799hpattern_sh= _nufc9799hpattern_so = _nufc9799hleftarm = FFFFFFbody = FFFFFFrightarm = FFFFFFshorts = 000000socks = 000000title = Newcastle United

Media coverage

In the United Kingdom, ITV were the free to air broadcasters, taking over from the BBC, while Sky Sports were the subscription broadcasters for the tenth consecutive season. with the BBC retaining free-to-air highlights. The 1998 FA Cup Final was Brian Moore's last domestic football commentary for ITV before his retirement after the World Cup

The matches shown live on ITV Sport were:

• Everton 0-1 Newcastle United (R3)

• Manchester City 1-2 West Ham United (R4)

• Arsenal 0-0 Crystal Palace (R5)

• Arsenal 1-1 West Ham United (QF)

• Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 Arsenal (SF)

• Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle United (Final)

The matches shown live on Sky Sports were:

• Swansea City 1-4 Peterborough United (R1)

• Margate 1-2 Fulham (R1)

• Burnley 0-3 Rotherham United (R1 Replay)

• Chester City 0-2 Wrexham (R2)

• AFC Bournemouth 3-1 Bristol City (R2)

• Basingstoke Town 0-0 Northampton Town (R2 Replay)

• Chelsea 3-5 Manchester United (R3)

• Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Fulham (R3)

• Port Vale 1-1 Arsenal (R3 Replay)

• Stevenage Borough 1-1 Newcastle United (R4)

• Sheffield Wednesday 0-3 Blackburn Rovers (R4)

• Newcastle United 2-1 Stevenage Borough (R4 Replay)

• Manchester United 1-1 Barnsley (R5)

• Barnsley 3-2 Manchester United (R5 Replay)

• Newcastle United 3-1 Barnsley (QF)

• West Ham United 1-1 Arsenal (QF Replay)

• Newcastle United 1-0 Sheffield United (SF)

• Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle United (Final)

References

References

  1. "West Ham United v Emley, 03 January 1998".
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